Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Delitycoon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Delitycoon’, characterized by its semi-double-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and green-colored disc florets; uniform growth habit; strong and upright flowering stems; freely branching and flowering habit; uniform flowering response; good postproduction longevity; and resistance to  Botrytis.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DELITYCOON’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Delitycoon’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering semi-double-type Chrysanthemum plants with unique ray floret coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands in September, 2005 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Chrysanthemum×morifolium, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in September, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since October, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Delitycoon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Delitycoon’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Semi-double-type inflorescences with white-colored ray         florets and green-colored disc florets.     -   2. Uniform growth habit.     -   3. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   4. Freely branching and flowering habit.     -   5. Uniform flowering response.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity.     -   7. Resistant to Botrytis.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform than plants of the parent selections in growth and flowering habit.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Noa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,855. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Noa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had longer flowering stems         than plants of ‘Noa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger leaves than plants         of ‘Noa’.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were flatter         than ray florets of plants of ‘Noa’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Atlantis’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,074. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Atlantis’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had shorter flowering stems         than plants of ‘Atlantis’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of ‘Atlantis’.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more         white in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Atlantis’.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more resistant to         Botrytis than plants of ‘Atlantis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Delitycoon’ grown as a spray type.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises close-up views of the upper (top of photograph) and lower surfaces (bottom of photograph) of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Delitycoon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were initially given 15 days of long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and light levels were about 7 kilolux. Plants were nine weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Delitycoon’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 13 days             at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 15 days             at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance/growth habit.—Herbaceous semi-double-type cut             flower that is typically grown as a spray-type; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             75 cm. Spray diameter: About 28 cm to 30 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm to 7 mm. Lateral branch length: About 10 cm to 15 cm.             Internode length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 9 cm to 14 cm. Width: About 5 cm to 9 cm. Apex: Acute.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuate to             dentate; sinuses convergent. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent, rough; veins prominent on lower             surface. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Between N137A and 147A;             venation, close to 146C. Fully developed leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 146D. Petiole:             Length: About 1 cm to 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm to 6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, rough. Color,             upper surface: Close to 147C. Color, lower surface: Close to             146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double-type inflorescence form with             oblong-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils; ray and disc florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere; at other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness); uniform flowering response;             plants exposed to 15 days of long day/short night conditions             after planting followed by photoinductive short day/long             night conditions flower about 45 days later when grown as a             spray-type.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about three weeks; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit; when             grown as a spray type, about 15 to 20 inflorescences develop             per flowering stem.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8 cm to 9 cm. Depth             (height): About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Receptacle height: About 6 mm. Receptacle diameter: About             7 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 145C.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Oblate. Height: About 4 mm.             Diameter: About 7 mm. Color: Close to 153D.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm             to 2 cm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded to emarginate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Angle: Initially upright to close             to perpendicular to the peduncle with development. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number             per inflorescence: About 20 to 25 arranged in about two             whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to NN155D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, elongated. Apex:             Dentate. Length: About 5 mm to 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to             2 mm. Number per inflorescence: About 200, massed at the             center. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 145A to 145B.             Mid-section: Close to 5A. Base: Close to 145D. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 5B. Mid-section: Close to 145C to             145D. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Width: About             4 mm to 6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent, slightly rough. Number             per inflorescence: About 25 arranged in about two to three             whorls. Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, fourth peduncle: About 10 cm. Length,             seventh peduncle: About 12 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm.             Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong             to strong. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color:             More green than 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 15B.             Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 15A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style             length: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Style color: Light green. Stigma             color: Light yellow.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be resistant to Botrytis. Plants of the new     Chrysanthemum have not been observed to resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Chrysanthemums grown under commercial     conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Delitycoon’ as illustrated and described. 